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Investigator Warned MMS in 2009 About Deepwater Gas Blowouts in Gulf of Mexico
A sixty-page memorandum addressed to Renee Orr, the chief of the leasing division of the Minerals Management Service (MMS), was sent in September 2009 by an environmental investigator, warning of potential disaster in offshore drilling operations and the particular dangers posed by gas hydrates.
It was written as a public comment to the federal government's proposed rule for oil and gas leasing between 2010 and 2015 on the outer continental shelf, and offers a wide-ranging compilation and analysis, based on meticulously documented scientific, industry and government sources, of many accidents little known to the general public.
It warns of the potential for catastrophic environmental disaster in an offshore accident, highlighting many of the potential dangers that the Deepwater Horizon explosion has now put on display. It also raises concern about the ongoing and unrecognized release of vast quantities of methane into the atmosphere, a gas 20 times more powerful as a warming agent than CO2.
"The primary cause of blowouts, spills and uncontrolled releases of gases from offshore operations is drilling into methane hydrates, or through them into free gas trapped below," the report warns MMS. It cites much evidence compiled from accident investigations and other documents published by MMS itself, which is the federal agency responsible for assuring safety and environmental protection of offshore drilling operations, as well as leasing rules and royalty payments.
Between 1992 and 2006, almost 2,500 deepwater wells were drilled — more than three times as many as in the previous 20-year period. There were 39 blowouts during that period — 38 of them in the Gulf of Mexico — recorded in MMS accident investigation reports.
Most were in shallow water, short-lived and "environmental impacts were negligible," according to an MMS analysis. Because the fatality rate of these blowouts showed a decrease, the analysis was touted as pointing to an improving safety record. (See "Absence of Blowout Fatalities Encouraging in MMS OCS Study 1992-2006.")
Yet the analysis revealed that problems with cementing caused most of the blowouts; and that the chances of a blowout were better than 1 in 400. These facts did not set off any alarm bells, or raise concern about the possibility that a blowout in deepwater could one day be catastrophic.
Reached by telephone, the investigator told SolveClimate that he received an automated email response from MMS to the online submission of his 60-page report, and never heard from the agency again.
Safety Suffers During Drillng Boom
In 2000, during the heart of the unprecedented deepwater drilling boom, which began in the early 1990s, MMS published a review of gas hydrate research activities, which included this testimony from Dr. Roger Sassen of Texas A&M University — which the investigator's report highlighted — that warns unequivocally about the dangers of a deepwater blowout:
What most concerns me real-time is that the energy industry is moving into deep water of the Gulf of Mexico where gas hydrates form instantaneously in sea-floor experiments...Surprisingly little is known about the geology (water depth distribution, geologic controls, maximum preservation depth in sediments) and geochemistry (compositions and stability realms) of natural gas hydrates in the context of energy industry activities...We simply cannot afford a major accident in the deep waters of the Gulf, and thus have a clear common objective with the MMS.
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Thanks for your content and I will go back again soon because this place is so interesting .
Count your blessings in any disaster
My humble and meager uneducated theory:
BP got set up because they were greedy. If there is really a 20 mile long methane bubble under the water there.....
This is probably for the best, BP get's to step down from power after all the lawsuits, I hope, they need to give back and stop taking too much. Surely this greed is how they got chosen, to be the one's who can afford to get the methane bubble out of the gulf, vent it out, so there won't be a real disaster. The oil spill would force someone to have to vent or nuke the methane bubble, the US government can't afford it. BP could be blamed on the methane bubble in court and made to pay for it. Someone has to vent it clear or there probably could have been a gas explosion that killed everyone for many states. The methane gas somehow causes CO2 to get all over the low ground and kill everyone. This already happened in Cameroon, in 1986.
If BP stays greedy and covers it up and does not act like they have any more to do than spread about corexit and try and pump oil again, somehow, they could be the first one's breathing the methane or whatever air it displaces down. I believe they have oxygen tanks and everyone should go out and buy some for their house. The first thing I would do is go to the Gulf Scuba Diving Shops for equipment and instructions. Stay inside and wear a biotoxic suit to go out in the rain. I would not move, I would seal up my house, and wait it out if I could.
Evacuation may be only because they want to set off a nuke, and this will require the people being out of the area due to nuking methane which sets off a tidal wave and a lot of trouble.
And if you got this far, remember scientists will lie their asses off for money too. There may not be a methane bubble, this could be paid disinfo.
methane hydrate exploration
Does anyone know for certain if BP was actually prepping for oil extraction at the Deepwater Horizen site..........or actually performing exploratory methane hydrates research? The energy companies have a huge interest in finding a means of exploiting methane extraction as a "new" source of gas for market
Methane Hydrate Nonsense: I
Methane Hydrate Nonsense:
I don't think the geologists agree with you. Who do you work for? Liar. We live in the age of the internet. The days of corporations and companies paying people off are over. You see, the real edge here, exists between those who stand vigilantly on the side of science, and those who would seek to exploit it, for no other reason, than greed. Lol, who give's a shit about humanity, right. And when the backbone of science, which are its followers, stand up, all at once, in this age of internet, Lol. Guess who's busted? To many people are tired, Mr. Nonsense. The masses, in their concerted attempt, pilfering through the conspiracy theories, and the apocalypse bull, trying to make sense of things and extract the truth, lol, is that what you hope will disguise what is so obviously veritable? I don't think so, not this time. The people who really believe in science, and seek not to profit from it, but to move humankind, out of it's, "I want to take everything for granted," frame of mind, are sick and tired of this nonsense. You want to know what is really going to be the determining factor of what precludes linkage between oil drilling and methane hydrate release? Freedom of Speech, and the global venue, that dominates our world culture.
I Need EXPERT Opinions, Please
Someone has said that the Deepwater Horizon well pierced a hydrothermal vent that is leaking vast quantities of methane. Also that it CANNOT be capped.
Check out these statements:
Its a gas-oil eruption and there are several plumes not just the one around the horizon rig..
The gas and oil coming out of the plume you see on tv totals less than 2% of the gas and oil being released into the waters.
There is a core methane hydrate deposit, the largest known to exist.
In fact if it is allowed to escape, when it burns off it will consume all the oxygen within the whole of the atmosphere of the entire earth, no more air for anything to breathe not just fish, it really is Pandora's box these ass clowns opened up.
What is fueling the eruptions is the reaction occurring from the frozen methane hydrates transforming, faster and faster, from a frozen solid state to a liquid, then rising and finally turning back into gas, it is a chemical reaction that is the power source behind the eruptions, not the normal volcanic activity.
Think of it as an underwater methane glazier that is melting as a result of the changing pressure and temperature of the planet.
Who knows if it would have remained frozen if BP wouldn't have been doing experimental exploration.
Really its just a small part of what you see taking place around the world with all the earth quakes and volcanoes going off everywhere.
Mainly the volcanic eruption in Iceland changed the pressure the methane was being held under by a few degrees, its the pressure thats been keeping it frozen, our it would have erupted a long time ago.
The people drilling did not have real time measurements, so they were not prepared for the level of pressure that they encountered, it was way beyond what they had estimated and were expecting it to be when they hit the deposit
But factually speaking people shouldn't be calling it an oil spill, and the people saying that know thats not what it is.
what is happening in the Gulf is not a spill and never has been, its a gas-oil eruption, and there is 3000 to 5000 times more gas being released than oil.
Which when you do the math, its 1 part to 250,000 part oxygen depletion ratio occurring as the gas-oil, and various other chemicals, interact with the sea water.
Here's the video:
I would appreciate it if a GEOLOGIST or some other expert would comment on the accuracy and veracity of these statements. Feel free to e-mail me at bothpartiessuck@yahoo.com. Thanks.
idea to solve the Gulf of Mexico
Slovenes with the idea to solve the Gulf of Mexico
24ur.com
After numerous failures to try to stop oil spillage in the Gulf of Mexico, the simple but effective solution to think of Slovenian architect. Čufer Andrew is convinced that within seconds could stop vomiting.
see the video on the link(but it is in SLOVENIAN)
http://24ur.com/novice/slovenija/slovenci-z-idejo-za-resitev-mehiskega-z...
Investigator Warned MMS
Secretary Salazar and his MMS goon squad should not be out and about. Instead they should be on house arrest, awaiting trial for high crimes against humanity and the Earth. Salazar has ridden the gravy train of big oil brotherhood and IGNORED expert opinion for the last 18 months. Then he claims he has "telepathy" that this spill is going to be catastrophic when notified about it. No, he knew that he was busted. Next thing we see, he's in a denim shirt and ball cap as if he actually works? This man is a criminal and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. He and his buddies approved doing something so risky that no procedures were ever in place to fix it if it malfunctioned. What kind of regulatory agency does that? -- one that has no intelligence at its head. We could be watching the slow and agonizing death of this planet unfold, and Kenneth Salazar + the MMS staff are roaming around as free men. What a travesty!
Methane Hydrate Nonsense
None of the list of wells Dr Zimmerman lists were lost as a result of Methane Hydrate - indeed a large nmber of those he lists are in waters too shallow for the Hydrate even to form which precludes any chance of linkage. Basic mistakes that do real science no good at all. Very sad.
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